Toshiba shows prototype 50-inch 4K TV

In the world of 4K television—that’s TV with four times the resolution of today’s high-def sets—size is king, because you really need a big screen to benefit from all those extra pixels. But at this year’s IFA consumer electronics show Toshiba is displaying one of the smallest 4K prototypes yet seen.

The TV has a 50-inch screen size and was on show alongside the company’s 58-, 65- and 84-inch 4K televisions. The latter three TVs, which carry the L9 or M9 model names, will be available across Europe this month.

Photo: Martyn WilliamsToshiba put its 4K TV sets on display at the IFA trade show in Berlin.

There is no launch date for the 50-inch prototype set.

The larger TVs cost between roughly $5000 and $17,000 so the smaller set, if it goes on sale, should be cheaper.

Toshiba used IFA to launch an upscaling Blu-ray Disc player, the BDX6400KE. It also supports 3D content and Miracast, a Toshiba-developed streaming technology. Launch in Europe is scheduled for the fourth quarter of this year.